1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to ski equipment and more particularly to a snow-ski binding adapted for convertible use in both downhill and cross-country skiing. The ski binding is of a type that can be used without a conventional downhill skiing boot.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are two general types of snow-skiing, alpine or downhill skiing and Nordic or cross-country skiing. The requirements of ski bindings for binding the skier's boot to the ski are different for alpine skiing than for cross-country skiing, and it is typical that a binding used for downhill skiing is not usable for cross-country skiing. Specific footwear, in the form of rigid boots, have previously been required for alpine skiing. Neither the binding used nor the boot used in alpine skiing is directly applicable to cross-country skiing, since cross-country skiing requires a pivoting of the skier's foot near the toe while alpine skiing requires the boot to be firmly, but preferably releasably connected to the ski. Ski equipment has been developed for use in both downhill and cross-country skiing as evidenced by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,945,134, 4,002,354 and 4,157,191 which are of common ownership with the present invention, and the present invention relates to improvements in equipment of the type described in the aforenoted patents.
Several prior art ski bindings have been adapted to transmit force from the lower leg of a skier to the ski. Examples of such bindings are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,747,235 to Post; 4,021,053 to Willi; and 4,058,326 to Faulin. Of those patented bindings, only the Faulin binding can be utilized with more or less conventional footwear having relatively pliant characteristics. The prior art does not show a binding that can be used with conventional shoes or hiking boots that additionally allows a user to both downhill and cross-country ski, using the same equipment.